How to Raise Healthy Kids in an Unhealthy World

First it is not easy. I don't even know if it is possible. The only thing you can do is your best. There are some things that you have control over. You can feed them nutritious food. You can give them shelter, protection and love. You can teach them morals and teach them right from wrong. The hard part is being the best example you can be.

In a world where television, music, video games, books, and movies are blasting all kinds of violence and sex in our faces it is hard to protect them. Especially when there are things that we may want to watch that are not good for us. Even if we screen them from all the trash, they are subjected to it everywhere. If they go to a friend's house many times they see things there that we don't want them to watch.

I am teaching art in a Catholic private school and the kids there I would expect would be more sheltered than kids in public school, I am not so sure. They still talk about the same video games, music and television that public school kids do. So that is not necessarily the answer either.

What I do know is that it is important to set a good example. You can't yell at them not to smoke not drink and use drugs and do it if you don't want them to. You can't cuss and watch filth in movies and television if you don't want them to. You can't read and watch porno and expect them not to do it. They have an uncanny way of knowing what we do even if we do it in secret.

If you are single or married and are having affairs or hanging out in bars, what do you think they are going to do? Right like father like son, or like mother like daughter. Don't think they won't throw it up in your face either, because they will.

Now for some other tips on positive parenting, I unfortunately had to learn how to do this from outside my family of origin. I sure didn't get it at home. Unfortunately I was not the best parent in the world first time around, because I didn't have the skills to do it. I did my best, but it is one of the biggest grieves that I have that I didn't know how to do a better job until I was older.

First you need to compliment them, never put them down or make fun of them.